Fort Collins sleep consultant offers tips for rest

Sleep stages important to help regular metabolism and mode, learning and memory

By Joyce Davis For the Reporter-Herald

Posted:
06/30/2013 01:00:00 AM MDT

Comedian Steven Wright tells this joke: "When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, 'Did you sleep good?' I said 'No, I made a few mistakes.'"

For many, sleeping well is no laughing matter. Just ask William Moorcroft, whose second edition of "Understanding Sleep and Dreaming" was recently published by Springer Press.

Moorhead treats people with sleep problems at his Fort Collins office, Colorado Sleep Consultants, using a non-drug cognitive behavioral program. His book looks at diverse subjects such as dream behavior, sleep patterns and disorders, stages of sleep and how the brain produces sleep and wakefulness.

According to the Mayo Clinic, most adults need seven to eight hours sleep a night, which allows them to cycle several times through five sleep stages. The first four are key to regulating metabolism, learning and memory, while the fifth -- rapid eye movement (REM) -- is vital for regulating mood and forming emotional memories.

Many people don't understand the value of sleep, says Moorcroft, who received a Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton University, taught for 31 years at Luther College in Iowa, completed a fellowship in sleep disorders at Rush Medical College in Chicago and was a visiting clinician at the Mayo Clinic.

"It keeps us healthy physically and psychologically and helps us balance our emotions," he says. "When you can't sleep, it becomes a major problem in all aspects of life."

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Now retired, Moorcroft says one of the most common complaints he hears from the sleep deprived is that they can't turn off their minds at bedtime. "This can range from serious worries to such silly things as a song running through your mind."

His clients are definitely not sleeping like a baby.

"One-third say they have insomnia occasionally, while 10 percent claim sleeplessness has major effects on their lives," he says. "I teach them how to sleep without drugs and pills -- they may be a quick fix, but not a good fix. What I teach are the skills that you'll use the rest of your life -- a plan designed specifically for you."

People with sleep problems can learn how to sleep like a child again by paying attention to what doctors call "sleep hygiene."
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Jenny Sparks
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Very often, people with sleep problems fail to adequately prepare themselves for sleep. "More often than not, 9 or 10 o'clock rolls around and the person suddenly decides there's some activity that absolutely needs to be done," he says. "You need a set time for sleep and the necessary preparations that lead up to it. One thing I encourage is to take as long as an hour before bedtime to wind down. Avoid bright lights and do something relaxing to calm yourself."

If you plan to read, don't do it in bed, however. "Read somewhere else, then when you're tired, go to bed," he says.

Some people may have no trouble falling asleep, but can't remain asleep. "When that happens, it's better to get out of bed instead of tossing and turning," Moorcroft says. "We can't force ourselves to sleep. It's not a matter of having grit, of knuckling down."

Research shows people experiencing insomnia for more than several weeks can't make it up by trying to stay in bed longer in the morning or sleeping extra long over the weekend.

"Problems caused by lack of sleep accumulate," he says. "You have to address the negative things that are affecting your sleep instead of trying to compensate for hours lost."

Technically, sleep disorders can't be called insomnia unless they last three months or more. Yet, someone who has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, is waking up too early or isn't feeling rested in the morning, should seek help before the situation worsens, Moorcroft says.

"If sleep problems are affecting your waking life, then it's definitely time to address them. The earlier the better, because the more ingrained they become in your life, the more difficult they are to treat."

Many people believe they can simply adapt to sleeping less, but studies show they really can't. There's a biological given that those who don't get enough sleep show deficiencies in their mental and physical reflexes when tested.

"Lack of quality, adequate sleep spills over into our daily life regarding how we deal with people and other matters," Moorcroft notes. "Sleep deprivation can actually change one's personality -- not for better."

Good sleep habits and regular sleep is known as sleep hygiene. Getting sufficient sleep is essential to chronic disease prevention.

Insufficient sleep is associated with many health-related situations, among them depression, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity. It also is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related crashes that cause injury, disability and death each year.

If you have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, if you wake up too early and suffer from excessive sleepiness during the day, you should consult your physician or a sleep specialist.

By the Numbers

An estimated 50-70 million American adults have a sleep or wakefulness disorder.

Severe insomnia is the most commonly reported sleep problem in the United States, affecting about 10 percent of all adults.

Women are twice as likely as men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep.

The average woman age 30-60 sleeps only six hours and 40 minutes each night during the workweek; most people need 7-9 hours of sleep nightly to function well the next day.

Over the past century, the average amount of time Americans sleep has decreased by about 20 percent.

Drowsy driving is responsible for 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 non-fatal injuries each year in the United States.

Compared to healthy individuals, people with chronic sleep loss are less productive, have healthcare needs greater than the norm and have an increased likelihood of injury.

To Improve Sleep

Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.

Avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, as well as nicotine.